This Love
by LucyFireTen
Summary: I suck at summaries, as well as at titles. What if, after Doomsday and meeting Donna the first time, the Doctor found a way to reunite with Rose? A multi-chapter fiction about the 10th Doctor and Rose finally together. Not plotless, but with very little plot. Please read the note before the first chapter and please review. Rated M for lots of smut in chapters 1 and 2. Enjoy :)
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, hello. This is going to be a fiction about Rose and the 10th Doctor. The beginning is very smutty, but I want it to be sweet and romantic too. It's going to have some kind of a plot but not much, I will mostly focus on feelings and thoughts. I don't know where this is going to go and how long it will be, I'm just giving vent to my imagination. Probably, I will make many grammar or spelling mistakes. Feel free to correct me! I will upload again with the corrections. Reviews are welcome, positive or negative: they will help me to do better, anyway. I guess it's all, so enjoy :) **

_One month is passed after Bad Wolf Bay in "Doomsday". Rose is trapped in the parallel universe, believing she will never see the Doctor again. Meanwhile, the Doctor is looking for a way to see Rose again without making both universes collapse._

"_Rose" _Rose Tyler heard her name. Someone calling her name while she was sleeping. Not really a voice, but she could hear that in her mind. And it was _his _voice. She would recognize it between a thousand voices. It was the voice of the man she loved.

Rose ran outside, only her pyjama on, and he was there, standing with the hands in his pockets, trying to smile even though his eyes were bright as if he wanted to cry. Somehow, Rose knew that this time it was not a hologram, but the Doctor himself. However, she needed to be sure.

"Doctor… is that you? The real you?" She was already weeping.

"Yes" he answered breathlessly.

Rose ran and hugged him, wrapping her legs around his waist, burying her face into his neck, dropping warm tears on his jacket. She had never been so happy in her whole existence. She had missed him so much that nothing in the whole universe mattered except being finally in his arms.

The Doctor hugged Rose. Tight. He had never held her so tight. Finally able to smile, at the same time the tears he had been holding back rolled down his cheeks. He hugged her even tighter while whispering, his voice broken: "Never gonna leave you. Never. Do you hear me? I will never leave you again."

Rose put her feet down and they broke the embrace, but they left their hands on each other's hips, to avoid losing physical contact, fearing that the other might just disappear if they stopped touching.

He looked straight into her eyes. "And… I love you. Forgive me for not saying it before. I love you. I love you so much. I could repeat it a thousand times. I love you, Rose Tyler. I missed you so much. I was lost without you. You are everything to me."

Rose's heart was pounding against her chest as he finally said those words, the words she had been so desperately waiting for. She realized they were in the TARDIS. He had somehow found a way to pick her up from the other universe, leaving her mum and dad behind.

As if reading her mind, the Doctor said "Sorry about them. I could do this only once, only for you. I'm sorry, Rose. I'm so sorry."

Rose shook her head. "It's okay, Doctor. Really. I had made my choice. I want to stay with you." She had lived years without her father, when he was dead. She had lived months without her mother while travelling with the Doctor. And she had been fine. But she couldn't live another minute without him, without the Doctor. "I love you more than anything, more than anyone. I…"

"Shh." he stopped her, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. "I love you too. Don't cry. I can't see you crying." Rose chuckled: his own cheeks were wet. The Doctor looked at her with a new intensity: "Now, Rose, there is something I really want to do right now" he whispered "Rose… can I kiss you?"

Rose smiled. "You…" she put her hands on his cheeks. They were so close now, that she could see herself in his eyes. "…you stupid, clever, idiot, brilliant Time Lord. There's no need to ask." She pulled him down and they kissed. A chaste kiss, lips against lips. His lips were soft and cool against hers. He tasted like bananas and tea, and like time and space.

Rose kissed him. Her hands and lips were warm on his sensitive skin. He closed his eyes as he felt her taste on his mouth, wonderful, like fresh spring air, and cherries, and strawberries. The kiss lasted a few moments, but a second later they were kissing again, deeply, slowly exploring each other's mouth, tongues touching, licking, caressing each other. Every rational thought in the Doctor's mind just disappeared and he pulled Rose closer to him: she was finally in his arms and he would never let her go.

When they parted, it was for a couple of seconds. They kissed again and again, because they just couldn't stay apart. It was everything too much: being in love for two years or even more without the other knowing, finally admitting it only to be separated forever. No, the Doctor just couldn't believe she was now there, with him. It looked like a dream and oh, he had dreamt about this. He just couldn't believe that, this time, it was real.

Rose couldn't stop kissing him, touching him, feeling his soft breath on her lips, hearing his double heartbeat against her chest. But after several minutes, a bit more sure that he wouldn't just disappear, she managed to ask:

"How did you pick me up? You said both universes would collapse…"

"I was dying without you. I just _had _to find a way. It took me a whole month to think of something that could open a breach big enough for me to come and return, with at least one single chance of avoiding the destruction of reality… it might be the most dangerous thing I have ever done purposely, but I had to try."

"And you did it! You, my clever, brilliant Doctor." Rose kissed him again and he smiled in the kiss. Then he became serious.

"Right after… after Bad Wolf Bay… I realized how hard it was to live without you. I tried to let you go, because I knew that we can't be together forever… I wanted to run from pain. But it was such a stupid thing. I was lost without you… I would be dead if someone didn't stop me, that day…"

"Shh." Rose was the one who said that this time. "It doesn't matter. You're here, right? _We _are here. _Together_. I was lost without you as well. I cried every day. Every night. But now you're here and I'm so happy I can't even express it."

He smiled sweetly. "Me too. I have never been so happy in my entire life and… and I love you, Rose Tyler. I haven't said that in a while so… just a little reminder. I love you so much."

"I like when you say that" Her heart was beating so fast she thought it could stop. She could see so much love in his eyes -those brown, beautiful eyes- that she finally knew he loved her as much as she did. And this was the most precious knowledge in the universe.

"I love you" he repeated, a bright grin on his face "I love you" he kissed her. This time it wasn't chaste or sweet: this time was passionate. This time was the Doctor devouring her mouth with lust, and Rose kissing him back, biting his lower lip, pulling him closer and closer by holding the lapels of his jacket.

Something had awakened in the Doctor's brain. He suddenly realized how much he had missed her, how much he loved her, how much he _wanted_ her. His rational thoughts were fading and desire was taking charge. He wanted to kiss Rose till he forgot every taste but hers.

Rose hoped that moment would never end. She wanted to freeze it in time and keep kissing the Doctor like that forever. Then, he surprised her. He pressed her against the wall of the corridor and kissed her with even more passion, his hands on her hips pulling her closer.

The Doctor broke the kiss as they both needed to breathe, and then locked his eyes with hers, as if asking permission. Rose simply kissed him again, holding him tight, and wrapped her legs around his waist. He held her without exertion His double heartbeat speeded up as he felt her breasts against his chest, her scent so close, her golden curls caressing his cheeks.

As they embraced tighter than ever, Rose kissed him hungrily and stroked his hair with both hands. This made the Doctor moan and Rose grinned in the kiss at that sound. His hand found her bum, pulling her closer, letting her feel the growing erection in his pants. Rose felt her whole body shiver with hot shocks of arousal, and whimpered as he began to kiss her neck, sucking at it shortly after, leaving a possessive red mark on her. Stepping back to admire his work, Rose smiling playfully, he whispered:

"Want you… so bad" his voice was husky and she felt his hands shake on her hips.

"Me too" she answered breathlessly. "I can't wait anymore. I need you. Now."

The Doctor couldn't wait either, so he trusted the TARDIS. She didn't disappoint him: she switched the rooms and the door next to him became the one of his bedroom. Stepping into the room, Rose asked:

"How did you know the TARDIS would-"

"I didn't know" he said, "I just hoped." Feeling daring, the Doctor whispered in her ear, using his huskiest voice: "But… if the TARDIS hadn't switched the rooms…" he stopped to gently suck and bite her earlobe "…I would have taken you right there against the wall."

He, _the Doctor_, whispering such filthy things to her… well this, this was matter of her wildest dreams and turned her on immensely. She felt the heat in her belly building up faster and faster as he kissed her hard and, when he traced her jawline with his tongue, she was barely able to keep herself standing. Somehow sensing it, he picked her up and gently laid her on his bed.

Smiling softly, his chocolate-brown eyes now dark with lust, he took off his shoes and climbed on top of her after letting his jacket fall on the floor. She loosened his red tie and unbuttoned his shirt, tossing it away, the Doctor putting her shirt off. Rose shivered as he unhooked her bra, throwing it somewhere on the floor.

Pushing her gently against the mattress, he begin to kiss at her jawline, then her neck and collarbone, going down till he found her breasts, sucking at them, Rose panting beneath him. Rose Tyler, the woman he had fallen for for more than two years, half-naked and sighing underneath him: it was actually happening and he had never felt so hot in his entire life; he was almost sweating, and he hadn't been sweated in centuries, superior timelord biology on his side.

The Doctor's kisses and touches were hungry and rough, driving her mad with desire. As he bit her nipple making her moan loudly and a surge of pleasure run up her spine, she managed to breathe:

"Doctor… stop teasing… pants off._ Now_."

He placed a last, deep kiss on her collarbone; then he nodded and took off his pants, Rose doing the same with hers. Almost holding his breath, the Doctor lightly caressed her inner thighs, starting from below and slowly going up. His hands were now warm for his arousal and his touch, gentle and strong at the same time, made Rose shiver.

Kissing her passionately, he removed her knickers; then he leaned back, sitting for some moments just looking at her. Rose Tyler, bare on his bed was the most erotic vision he had seen in his whole life. She had full breasts, well-toned legs and, oh, a perfect bum. Her long, blond hair, her deep, brown eyes, her fair, soft skin: he loved every bit of her.

"Oh, Rose" he breathed, "you're beautiful. You're so beautiful."

She blushed lightly, naked in front of the man she loved so much. It wasn't that she hadn't had sex before, but this time was completely different, special. A shaking hand went to his boxers, putting them off. It was her turn to look at him breathless. The Doctor was skinny, but virile, all lean muscles, with lightly visible abdominals and perfectly-drawn legs and hips. Her eyes widened at the sight of his member –a good nine inches- and Rose loved the cheeky, proud grin he had while she was looking at him.

The Doctor leaned forward and returned to his previous position on top of her. He placed chaste kisses on her lips and softly caressed her hips and thighs. His voice nothing more than a breath, he began: "Rose… before we do that…" locking his eyes with hers, he placed his fingers on her temples, waiting for her permission. Rose immediately understood and nodded. All of a sudden, he was in her mind and she was in his. Her mind was like a little river, meeting the vast sea of his being: in that sea, she could see many storms and maelstroms, dark clouds and cold currents, but she could also see a bright dawn and warm waves, beautiful ocean floors and white tropical beaches. It was just the way her Doctor was, full of light but also of shadows.

Sharing a mental link was the most intimate contact for his people, and as the Doctor connected his mind with hers, letting Rose see everything of him, he felt at home for the first time in decades. He didn't hide anything, not even the darkest or most intimate thought: he trusted her with his life. "Rose, before you read it in my mind by yourself… this… this is my name." He whispered it her ear.

"It's a beautiful name" she said, smiling, repeating it with her lovely voice.

The Doctor smiled, loving the way his name sounded when pronounced by Rose. "I'm yours now. Mind. Soul. Hearts. And body." After these words, he didn't need to say anything else because through their link she knew what he was thinking and feeling. He kissed her sweetly and then, looking straight into her eyes, the Doctor lowered his hips and slowly, carefully entered her.

They both let out a moan as they became finally one. The Doctor patiently waited for her to adjust to his size, breathing heavily at the overwhelming sensation of her so tight and warm around him, his hearts pounding, desire burning his body like a fire. He had to use all his residual self-control to keep a slow pace as he began to thrust.

Feeling him so hard inside her was breath-taking. Rose felt complete, being one thing with the Doctor, giving him everything. She sensed through their link how difficult it was, for him, to hold back. She kissed him as he began to thrust, panting, and she cried out his name at each move he made. After a few slow thrusts, he found a steady rhythm and the right angle that allowed him to hit that spot inside her that made her whimper and shiver.

"_Oh_, Rose."

The Doctor called her name many times, groaning, unable to form rational thoughts, hot shocks running up and down his spine. Keeping the regular rhythm, he kissed her passionately, biting her lower lip and then tracing a path along her jawline with his lips and tongue, going down her neck and collarbone and lightly sucking her nipples. In reaction, her hands wandered everywhere, stroking his hair and messing them up, tracing circles and spirals while caressing his back and chest, or his arms.

A hot wave of pleasure was building up in her lower abdomen, her climax slowly approaching. As he unintentionally thrust a bit harder, Rose let out a low moan and arched her back, longing for more, pressing his bum with her hand, pulling him closer and letting him know he could speed up.

The Doctor started to thrust faster and harder, Rose meeting his every move thrusting her hips upwards with her eyes shut and her arms now firmly holding his shoulders. He could sense his hormones rush in his veins, heat increasing between his hips. He increased his pace even more.

"Oh, Doctor!"

As his moves became almost erratic, Rose cried out his name loudly. His breath was now irregular, his heartbeats furious. He buried his face in her neck, sweat starting to cover her skin, her scent filling his senses. As he lost control of his body completely, thrusting with all his strength, her sighs and moans quickly became screams. In a minute or so, he realized he was almost screaming as well, their voices and the sound of skin slapped against skin being the only sounds in the room.

Rose was close. So very close. And so was the Doctor. He wanted to wait for her, but found he wasn't able to hold back at this point: he was too close. So, his weight on only one arm, he began to rub her clit, moving it in fast circles, pressing it.

Beneath him, Rose forgot to breath. She arched her back and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as a thousand waves of hot, powerful, overwhelming pleasure fell over her. She screamed the Doctor's name as she climaxed. The Doctor felt her shutter, her walls clenching around him: this was enough to make him come with her, eyes shut, biting his lip to avoid screaming even more than Rose, letting out a low groan, spilling himself into her.

He thrust slower and slower as both their climaxes came to an end. Then, he stopped, pressing his body against hers, resting his forehead on hers, eyes closed, caressing her mind with the gentle touch of his. They laid this way for some minutes, trying to recover and catch their breath, until he moved carefully and collapsed beside her.

The Doctor laid on his back and stretched his right arm to let Rose lay beside him: she rested with her right arm on his waist, her head on his chest listening to his heartbeats slowing down. He wrapped his arm around her back, pulling her closer, and began to softly caress her bare skin. Rose hummed contently and pressed her head on his neck, her eyes looking for his.

"Doctor. It was… wonderful."

He kissed the top of her head. "It was brilliant, Rose Tyler. Bloody brilliant." He was smiling cheekily.

"I love you."

"I love you too." _'You don't know how much' _he was about to add: then he remembered she knew, through their mental link, and he felt happier than ever.

They were both tired. It was late night and Rose was not as tired physically as she was emotionally. The Doctor wasn't so physically tired as well, superior timelord biology on his side, but he hadn't slept for two weeks and it was much, even for a Time Lord. He was the first to fall asleep, and Rose followed within seconds


	2. Chapter 2

When Rose woke up, she felt good. Incredibly good. Her legs were entwined with the Doctor's, her head resting on his chest, rising and lowering at his every breath, his hearts beating steadily. The sensation of his cool, bare skin against hers was pure pleasure and a light tension between her thighs reminded her of the wonderful night they had shared a few hours before. The Doctor's arm was still wrapped around her shoulders. When she moved and opened her eyes, she was surprised to find him still asleep. She smiled: he was so beautiful, looking so peaceful with his eyes closed, messy hair against the pillow.

He was very sexy as well. His chest was only half-covered by the sheet, letting Rose admire his muscular shoulders and arms. The thin sheet let her guess every line of his naked body: his waist, his hips, his member soft between his thighs. She felt a bit aroused at the sight of his perfect body so close to her and a little shiver ran up her spine. Still smiling, she went to the bathroom. _His_ bathroom.

The Doctor woke up as he sensed the temperature lowering: he didn't feel cold, but he could tell the space around him was becoming cooler. He stretched an arm, looking for Rose, and realized she had woken up. When he opened his eyes, Rose was getting out of his bathroom. She smiled at him sweetly and he grinned back: she was still completely naked. As she walked near the bed and turned her back to him looking for her clothes, the Doctor moved in a second: he hugged her from behind and pulled her on the bed with him.

"Where are you going, my love?" he asked playfully. The first thing he did was to connect their minds once again: he had missed her in the 1 minute and 37 seconds he had been awake without her in his mind. He loved feeling what she felt, her pleasure as he called her 'my love', her arousal growing as he placed an open-mouth kiss on her neck, the marvellous sensation of his cool skin against hers, her wonder as she felt him hard against her back.

Yes. The sight of her beautiful body, bare in front of him, her overwhelming scent so close, her taste on his lips, the wave of pleasure he could feel in her mind as he touched and kissed her: this was more than enough to drive him mad with desire. In addition, he had been sleeping for 8 hours and 33 minutes -an enormous amount of time for a Time Lord, even after two weeks awake- and he had never felt as full of energy and excitement as he was now.

He moved, making room for her on the bed and letting her go. A minute after, they were standing on their knees, kissing tenderly, slowly caressing each other. They both knew this time was going to be different from the previous night. That night had been passionate love-making, yes, but it had also been desperate, charged with the need to touch, to feel the other, to make sure that they were really there, together, finally together, and that it wasn't just another dream. This time they knew it was going to be true, perfect love-making, slow, sweet and tender.

After another deep kiss, tongues caressing each other, Rose bit his lower lip and smiled at him cheekily. She lowered her head and kissed his neck, mouth open, sucking lightly: the Doctor shivered, closed his eyes and threw his head back a bit, placing his right hand on her hair to keep her close.

Rose kept kissing him, tracing a path to his nipples, gently licking them. Her head was going down to his hips. She had done this before: Mickey didn't like foreplays, but her other boyfriend, Jimmy, had insisted so much. This time she was going to do this completely voluntarily: blokes usually liked this as much as sex and the Doctor had a far more sensitive skin than humans. She wanted to do this for him, to give him pleasure.

As the Doctor sensed Rose's thoughts, his whole body tensed with longing, her mouth almost where he wanted her most. A whisper left his mouth: "_Oh, Rassilon_" Rose giggled at his interjection. But the Doctor could read everything in her mind. He wanted her to be sure, so he managed to speak, his voice a husky whisper:

"Rose… I don't want you to do anything… you don't really want."

She looked at him, smiling.

"This is _you_, Doctor. Not some stupid bloke. You, my love. My one and only love. Do you think you would like this?

The Doctor felt she was completely sure and that she didn't feel forced.

"_Yes_," he uttered. "Definitely yes."

She smiled. Then, she kissed his hipbone and ran her tongue on his skin, on his length. He whimpered. She licked the tip of his cock very lightly, teasing him, making him sigh. She licked him again and began to suck the tip gently, rubbing it with her tongue. The feeling of her warm mouth around him was breath-taking.

After a minute, the Doctor had to sit down, his knees turning into jelly, eyes shut, lost in pleasure. He gasped as Rose took him fully in her mouth and started to go up and down his length, her tongue stroking him, his tip touching the back of her throat. Another minute and the Doctor had to lay on his back, head thrown back against the mattress, fingers grasping the sheets, back arching to meet her rhythm.

Now the Doctor couldn't stop the loud moans the escaped his mouth, his eyes shut almost painfully, hearths pounding, breath coming out in heavy gasps. He was desperately trying to hold himself back from thrusting into her, but he was losing control. As he felt in Rose's mind that this was okay for her, he blessed every god in the universe. He leant forward, grabbed her shoulder trying not to hurt her and returned to a sitting position. He began to thrust, slow at first, but soon fast, steadily.

He felt he was about to come. He was very close. In that last moment of consciousness before it, he decided to hold back: less than five minutes had passed. Both his timelord and male pride would be seriously punched by this. Obviously, Rose knew he was right about to come but he thought he could save his pride, at least with himself, if that didn't actually happen. He collapsed back on the mattress, trying to calm down.

"I think you enjoyed this" said Rose, smiling cheekily.

The Doctor groaned in reply, hearts still beating like drums, breathing heavily, unable to calm down, blinking repeatedly as he couldn't even keep his eyes close or open, unable to stay still. Rose laid near him, smiling, stroking his hair softly and caressing his mind with hers. The Doctor sensed she was very proud of what she had done to him: the Doctor, the almighty Time Lord, the Oncoming Storm laying undone, at her mercy. Rose chuckled.

Her thoughts were a bit too much for the Doctor: too victorious, too cheeky. Now fully in his right mind, his pride giving him a violent lash, he moved fast and in a second he was on top of her, capturing her lips in a fierce kiss. Rose gasped in his mouth and he grinned in hers, biting her lower lip shortly after. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead on hers, locking his eyes with hers.

"You know…" he began whispering in a husky, filthy voice, pausing to place wet, open-mouth kisses on her neck and collarbone. That tone of his was enough to turn her on, and made her shiver.

"…this particular body…" he continued, tracing a path down to her breasts with his tongue.

"…had always had…" he sucked gently at her breasts, before lowering his head even more.

"…a sort of…" his kisses had reached her navel, and he didn't seem willing to stop.

"…oral fixation." his mouth was now on her hipbone and he was getting closer and closer to where she wanted him most. She only now understood what he wanted to do, because he had hidden those dirty thoughts of his to surprise her. Rose shivered, pleasure pooling in her belly. She knew about his fixation, perfectly. And oh she had dreamed about him doing exactly what he wanted to do now. The Doctor chuckled as he sensed those thoughts but let her know that he had dreamed this too, which made Rose quiver.

"Doctor… please."

He didn't need her to beg, as her mind was already doing it for her. He looked straight in her eyes one more time before lowering his head again. He inhaled her scent deeply and Rose shuttered at the feeling of his cool breath on her. He spread her legs a bit more to position himself better and, almost shyly, he licked her clit, just with the tip of his tongue, teasing her. He licked it again and each time he did he used more of that clever tongue and each time it lasted more. Rose was already soaking wet when the Doctor made her shutter and moan, sliding his tongue into her opening, lapping her juices.

"You taste wonderful, Rose" he half whispered half moaned against her opening, sending vibrations through her whole body, up her spine, a growing heat burning between her hips. She was even more aroused by the fact the Doctor was enjoying this as much as her, his pleasure mixing with hers in their minds.

His mouth returned to her clit, this time not just licking but sucking too and drawing slow circles around that bundle of nerves. Rose whimpered at his every move and her whimpers rapidly turned into short moans as he swirled his tongue faster. Little cries of "oh, Doctor!" escaped her mouth together with moans.

The Doctor loved her taste and the feeling of her beneath his tongue, but her pleasure in his mind was making his arousal grow as well and he wanted more. So he decided to speed this up a bit. He slid one finger inside her and almost immediately he added a second finger, Rose moaning loudly at his touch. He smiled against her sensitive skin at that moan and at her thoughts, which stated that his fingers were as clever as his tongue. He didn't add a third finger to have the freedom to move easily: he slid his fingers into her fully, till the knuckles touched her opening, and curled them upwards. Rose almost screamed. He had quite long fingers and was pushing forcefully into her, touching a spot inside, behind her clit, which was definitely her most sensitive one. The Doctor pressed his fingers against it and moved them inside her. Rose arched her back and many other moans left her mouth, together with his name.

Never stopping moving his tongue in fast circles around her clit, sucking at it, pressing it, he began to move his fingers in and out of her, slowly at first but then faster and faster until he reached his highest speed, a significant bit faster than any human, Rose screaming and shuttering. As he sensed she was close, he bit he clit very lightly, pushed his fingers in as hard as he could and curled them upwards again. She screamed his name as she came, her pleasure overwhelming her in a thousand hot waves, her walls clenching around his fingers, which he didn't stop moving fast in and out until her climax ended.

The Doctor didn't move an inch and waited until Rose recovered. As she did, he slid his fingers out of her deliberately slowly and took them to his lips, sucking them clean, closing his eyes, in a very sensual way. God, if his target was to make her mad with want again, he was succeeding perfectly. It wasn't only his actions what made her aroused but also his thoughts, which told her he was not just _pretending _to like this, but really loved her taste.

He kissed Rose deeply, letting her taste herself into his mouth. He slowly lowered his hips and gently entered her. They both moaned against each other's lips as they became one once again. The Doctor thought about it: it was only their second time together. Only. On the one hand, it felt so perfect that he could live on just remembering this moment; on the other hand, it was so bloody brilliant he could never, ever, ever have enough.

Rose sighed in relief as the Doctor began to move, very slowly, never losing eye contact. Those dark brown eyes seemed to dig into her soul, his mind melted with hers, souls entwined as deeply as their bodies. She wanted that moment to never end, to last forever, and tried to fix it in her memory: the Doctor, dark eyes full of passion and love and lust, making love to her, being one body and one mind with her.

He kept a steady rhythm, gentle and slow, eyes locked with her, kissing her almost chastely on her lips, cheeks and jawline, whispering "I love you" a million times.

After a very long time they were both close and he sped up a bit, coming hard inside her a few minutes later and collapsing on top of her, breathing in pants, resting his forehead against hers.

As the Doctor rolled on her side, Rose laid near him with her head on his right shoulder, his arm around her, caressing her waist.

"I love you so much, Doctor."

"Love you too" he answered, closing his eyes.

Rose began to stroke his chest lightly, cuddling him, waiting for him to fall asleep. Eventually, his breath became slow and deep and his double heartbeat calm and reassuring. Rose smiled at him seeing him sleep: he was so lovely while sleeping. She closed her eyes and positioned herself closer to him, resting her right arm on his chest, hugging him gently, tenderly.

Rose fell asleep, happy and serene, not noticing the feeble golden light surrounding her hand, glowing lightly in the dark.

**A/N: Eventually, I have a much clearer idea on this fic. I decided what's going to happen in the plot and also the end of the story. This fic will also have a sequel, with more action and adventure but still a lot of feelings. You'll see :) I would be very happy if you leave a review, first because I love feedback and second because you help me to do better! **


	3. Chapter 3

The first few weeks were difficult. It was almost impossible for Rose to look at the Doctor without wanting him naked on top of her right there and then: she kept telling herself it was okay, they had been denying themselves this for too much time and when you deny yourself something like that for _so long_ with someone you love _so much_ it is all about making up for lost time. Anyway, it was quite embarrassing, as they were always mentally linked and the Doctor could feel her every thought.

Not that the Doctor's thoughts were much different, even though he was still wondering if he was doing the right thing: sometimes those dark fears, which had made him hold back along the years, came back to him. The fear of losing Rose one day, of being alone again, the fear of breaking both of his hearts. Could he live on after her death? He wasn't so sure. He had been lost and completely desperate after Bad Wolf Bay, and he was sure he couldn't live without her and without telling her he loved her, but being with her, together, like this, like a couple, kissing her, making love to her… this was far too much. Even too wonderful to be true. But it was. And he was giving Rose everything, all of himself, body and soul and hearts, giving her more than he had ever given to anyone before. He knew that: losing her would be devastating, unbearable.

'_I would die of sorrow, most likely_' the Doctor thought.

'_Much better than living without her'_ a voice in his head replied.

Yes, he was almost sure this was going to be his death. Which was the reason why he had hidden his love for her all that time: he thought that he had suffered enough, that he had lost enough. He wanted to run from heartbreak, from grief, from the pain of seeing her grow old and die without him, leaving him alone.

Every time the Doctor had this kind of thoughts, Rose came near him, and so she did that day: she hugged him tenderly, lovingly cuddling him, stoking his hair and kissing him on his cheeks, her mind trying to reassure him, mentally whispering:

'_I'm here.'_

'_I will never leave you.'_

'_You're not alone.' _

'_I love you.'_

'_My Doctor.' _

'_Don't worry.'_

'_I'm right here.'_

The Doctor opened his eyes and kissed her deeply, to remember why he had given her everything and why he had decided to suffer that much one day: because she was Rose, and she was worth it.

"I love you" he said, "I love you so much. I'm so sorry I still… have these thoughts. I shouldn't doubt about you. About us. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's okay. I'm here, okay? I won't leave you."

"I know."

"Yes but I mean… we all must die Doctor. Even you. With the life we have… so beautiful and exciting, saving the universe and everything but… Doctor, it's dangerous. You could die tomorrow, anything could happen and you could not have the possibility to regenerate. I will die of old age one day, of course, but it's not so likely: much more probable we die on some adventure, trying to save the universe or running from some alien. You could sacrifice yourself for the universe, or even for me, and leave me alone."

The Doctor looked at her, suddenly realizing he had been so concentrated on his own fears that he hadn't paid attention to hers. He felt in her mind that it was her biggest terror: to lose him, to be left alone. It was a huge, terrifying feeling, much worse than his own fear: Rose was always brave and strong, but when it was about him… her thought about him leaving her felt like the end of her world and was completely overwhelming. If the Doctor didn't know if he could live without her, Rose had no doubts.

The Doctor felt an enormous wave of guilt hit him: he was supposed to be the strong one, the one consoling her and cuddling her, telling her everything was fine. When he talked, it was in a firm, loud voice.

"Rose, listen. I will never, ever, ever leave you. Do you hear me? Never. There's no way I would let someone kill me and leave you alone." He paused for some seconds, looking for the right words. "About me giving my life for yours, well, it would be my choice. I want you safe. And you would do the same for me, wouldn't you? And you did, didn't you? That day at the Game Station. I tried to keep you safe and I failed miserably. You came back to save me, you'd given your life for mine if I didn't absorb the Time Vortex from you."

The Doctor felt that talking about the Game Station had been a mistake: it made her remember he had lied to her and left her alone. Another thing she feared so, so much. He lying to her.

"I never told you: I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I've lied to you. I… I promise I will never lie again. Not to you." He meant it. He wasn't sure he could keep this promise, but he would try. "I solemnly swear I won't lie to you again."

Rose smiled tenderly at him, knowing it was something he had never promised to anyone, at least not meaning it as he did now. However, Rose felt he wasn't as calm as he wanted to seem. He was still thinking about losing her one day and about being hurt, as he had given his very soul to her.

"Doctor… if you want to just… go back or something… to hold hands and hug… it's okay for me. If it makes you feel better… as long as I know you love me… it's okay for me. We're together, this is everything I need."

The Doctor stared at her. During the last weeks, it had been tough to be apart, to stop kissing to breathe, to kiss and touch each other without ending up in making love there and then, more than just once or twice a day. And now, now she was suggesting to go back, to just hold hands like before, before he told her he loved her. And she was suggesting this only to make him feel better, going against her desires. Every day the Doctor was more and more surprised of how much Rose loved him.

"Oh, my love. My only one love" he whispered, "you really need to know I could never go back. There's no going back now. Not for me."

"For me either. I just wanted to-"

"I know" he interrupted her, "it's my fault. Forgive me, okay? No more sad thoughts today, okay? Let's go somewhere. Somewhere new. Somewhere romantic. There's this planet in the constellation of Arcarux where there's a never-ending alternation of rain and sun, which generates a million rainbows every minute…"

The Doctor began to chatter about this and that planet, and Rose began to listen to him. New stars, new adventures always calmed him down, reassured him, made him content, and when he was, she was too. She took the hand he was holding out and walked with him through the infinite corridors to the console room.

~oOo~

"So, where to?" he asked, walking around the console, pushing buttons, moving levers.

"Oh, don't know, you choose."

The Doctor grinned. Rose knew he loved surprising her. He would choose some incredible planet that wasn't even between the ones he had been blethering about in the last ten minutes. She absently caressed the TARDIS console –a habit she had "inherited" from him- lost in thoughts about how lovely he was when he was so excited and paying little attention to his thoughts about the functioning of the time rotor.

Tough, she wasn't distracted enough to miss the golden flare of light, which surrounded the hand that was stroking the TARDIS for just a second before disappearing. It had been so brief that Rose thought she had imagined it. But then it happened again: for two or three seconds her hand glowed of a bright golden light. Then, it stopped.

The Doctor was too busy setting the coordinates on the TARDIS screen to sense her thoughts, but he realised she was worried about something.

"Rose, what is it?"

"It's nothing," she answered absent-mindedly.

"Rose…"

"Do you feel something?"

"What do you mean?"

"In my timeline. In yours. In ours. Do you feel something? Anything wrong or… different? Something… approaching? A storm or something?"

"No. Why? We said no more sad thoughts today, right? Are you sure it's nothing?"

"Yes. Really. Just… just my imagination."

She said it more to persuade herself than him. He had said everything looked okay. No terrible events incoming. He would feel it, Rose was sure.

'_It's just your imagination. You're tired. You were thinking about those sad things just ten minutes ago. It's just your imagination'_ she repeated in her mind, perfectly knowing she was lying.

**A/N: Did you ask for a quick upload? Your wish is my command, here I am. This chapter is quite short, though. The next ones should be a little longer, like the first two. **

**I'm in a very good period, I must say: I'm working on this fic, on its sequel and on another fic. Yes, I hope to write enough of the sequel to start posting it right after the end of this story… **

**Well… review, review and review: I really really care about what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

Months passed, and the Doctor took three important decisions.

The first was to stop thinking about future. He had to concentrate on the here and now to be happy and, more important, to make Rose happy. He had decided he couldn't sadden her with those dark thoughts, firstly because he wanted the best for her and secondly because he couldn't bear to see Rose sad or crying. Every time one of those mournful reflections hit him, he kissed her and told her he loved her: she always replied 'I love you too' and smiled contently, and he always grinned back and forgot every sorrowful thought.

The second decision was to ignore what he had discovered. The Doctor had eventually noticed that Rose's hands or even arms glowed with a feeble golden light sometimes, especially when she touched him or the TARDIS, but had decided to hide his thoughts about it, believing she hadn't noticed that light: he didn't want to worry her. So he was just observing and reflecting. He was almost sure there was nothing to worry about, but he couldn't figure out what was happening to her: and _this_ was worrying. Or at least disturbing: he hated when he couldn't understand something. It could be everything: even some residual energy from the Time Vortex Rose had absorbed years before… it could also have been happening since that day at the Game Station without him noticing and maybe it was only becoming more intense now. But why now, then? Too many questions without answers, and he didn't want to alarm Rose before he had at least a vague idea of what this was.

The third decision was to promise her forever. She had promised it a long time ago and now the Doctor felt he had to promise it too. Maybe it didn't make sense, as Rose had a few decades and he had centuries, but when it was about Rose, about them… everything made perfect sense. There was no point to wait any longer: he had discovered he would most certainly love her forever. At least he would never love anyone else with this body, which was born out of love for her, out of him giving his life for hers. Regeneration would probably heal the wounds, if he regenerated after her death, but could never cancel his deep, eternal love for her: as he had only recently understood, that love filled him completely and burned with the intensity of a billion stars, and he felt empty and lost if he just thought about losing her.

The Doctor wanted to say it properly, in the right way: eventually, he had found it and, throwing all his doubts to the wind, he had stated he was ready for this step.

He wanted that moment to be perfect, so he chose a good location. Not a special planet, but an insignificant, uninhabited, _boring_ one. He just wanted them to be safe and alone, without anyone interrupting them. It was a nice place, though, and it had apple-grass, which reminded him of their trip to New New York.

"Where are we going, love?" Rose asked.

"You'll see. Kind of a surprise" he answered, grinning.

~oOo~

They laid close to each other on his coat, on the apple grass, as they had done that day almost three years before in New New York. Everything was peaceful, under a light-blue sky and a bright-orange sun, birds singing, a cool breeze blowing through the leaves of the high trees around them. They've spent the last minutes talking about the least meaningful things in the universe, laying on their backs, looking at the sky, the Doctor unable to find the right words. He had prepared a speech, but his memory was dramatically disappointing him. Eventually, he found some of his bravery. He sat.

"Rose. We need to talk."

She sat and looked at him, arching an eyebrow.

"We _are_ talking, Doctor."

"I mean… I need to tell you something… very important."

Of course, he had been hiding her his thoughts, wanting this to be a surprise.

"I'm listening."

The Doctor took her hand in his and slowly caressed it, looking lovingly at her, straight into her eyes.

"It's about you promising me forever" he began.

"Oh, Doctor!" she interrupted him, "stop worrying about that. I meant it, okay? I don't mind if you can't do the same, I just felt I had to tell you. I know that forever for me means only a few decades, but this is what I have, and I'm giving it to you."

"Rose. Wait. I know. It's okay, It's brilliant. Let me explain. I love you and I wouldn't be happy if you didn't promise to stay with me forever. That's why I wanted to talk. I understood I will never stop loving you. Never. I'm sorry I'm such a fool: I should have known it before, ever since I have understood I love you. But now I know, and I can say it: Rose when I said 'I will never leave you again' I meant it. Forever. I promise. I will stay with you till the very end, never letting you go, and I will love you forever."

"Doctor…" her eyes were bright, as she was more than a bit moved by those words. Rose knew that it was so much more meaningful to say forever for him, because if with it she meant she was going to love him till her death, the Doctor meant he would _always _love her, centuries after her death. And he wasn't lying, Rose could tell it from his previously hidden thoughts, now perfectly clear in his mind and in hers.

"Don't cry now, Rose" he smiled and kissed her cheek gently, "this isn't even the best part, I hope."

The Doctor kissed her hand, which he was still holding, then he left it and kneeled in front of her.

"Doctor… what are you doing?" she asked, stunned.

"Shh" he breathed, taking his index finger to his lips, "finger on lips, you remember?"

He looked for something in his pocket with his other hand and eventually he found it: a lovely little box covered with thin fabric.

"I said I love you. I said it's forever. I guess the next thing I should say is..." he took a deep breath "Rose Marion Tyler, will you marry me?" he opened the box, revealing a ring with a shining gemstone that looked like a diamond, except it was much brighter, reflecting the colours of a rainbow.

"Oh, Doctor. Yes! Of course yes!"

Rose hugged him tight, crying on his shoulder, leaving a wet spot all over his brown jacket. The Doctor tried to smile, finding that he couldn't, shocked as he was.

'_Tears of joy'_ he thought, _'so human.'_

He was so breathless he didn't notice the lonely tear that rolled down his cheek.

"Rose" he breathed, "Rose, let me go, I… I can't breathe."

She let him all of a sudden.

"Sorry"

She was smiling, trying to wipe up her tears with the sleeve of her sweater. As she looked at him again, he took her hand and gave her the ring, pulling it gently up her finger near the knuckle.

"This, Rose, it's frozen sunlight. It will never broke, and it will never shine less than it does now. It's indestructible, incorruptible and eternal. Just like my love for you." The Doctor pressed a soft kiss on her lips and Rose didn't answer to it, concentrated on his words.

"Don't be so… so perfectly romantic or… or I will cry again" she breathed.

The Doctor stayed still, uncertain on what he should do next. Rose was the first to speak.

"I didn't have the faintest idea you would ask that."

"Marriage is a common institution. On almost every planet, with different names but same concept: two people promise to stay together forever. It did exist on Gallifrey, too. Love marriage was rare though. I had never proposed before. My marriage was prearranged by my parents as I was still very young: it was the most common thing, back then."

Rose nodded. The Doctor could almost see the gears of her brain working, thinking.

"But when? And where?" she asked.

"You choose" he replied, grinning, "tell me when and where and consider it done. You have all time and space."

"And what if I say right here and right now?" she said breathlessly, eyes locked with his.

He just stared at her. He had thought she would need some time to… to think about it or something. Seeing her so certain was… stunning. Brilliant, to be honest.

"Rose are you sure?"

" 'Course I am. What should I do?"

He didn't have anything settled for this.

"Wait for me. Just five minutes. I'll get in the TARDIS and… get ready." He paused. "Are you sure you don't want to wait? Buy a dress? Chose some special place?"

"I'm sure. Go, I'll be right here… waiting for my _fiancé_." She pronounced the last word deliberately slowly, testing it, listening to its sound.

The Doctor shivered and blushed lightly at her calling him like that. He chose to kiss her on her cheek now, to say goodbye, wanting their next proper kiss to be that special one.

He looked at his coat, which Rose was still sitting on, considering if he should take it or leave it with her. He loved that coat. Janis Joplin had given it to him. Ultimately, he said:

"I'll be back in a minute… take care of my coat, yes?"

Rose gave him that special smile, which was only for him, her tongue-in-teeth smile, and said nothing. He smiled back.

The Doctor ran to the TARDIS and sent it in the Time Vortex, reflecting on his next moves. Eventually, he took the TARDIS to a planet that was well-known for its goldsmiths, where he had the rings made, as the Earth tradition commanded. Coming back to the TARDIS, he looked for a strip of cloth about a foot long, as the Gallifreyan tradition wanted, and ultimately he found it in some _very old_ trunk under the grating in the console room.

He was about to come back to Rose as he realized something. Rose was beautiful whatever she was wearing, he didn't care much: she had said yes and nothing else in the bloody universe was important, but for this very reason he wanted to be perfect for her.

So, the Doctor got to the bathroom, had a shower and washed his hair. Looking intently at the mirror, he shaved and tried to rule his hair: eventually he decided for a fifties-style quiff, the same he had worn that day he had driven his Vespa and Rose had worn that lovely pink dress. He wore his best tuxedo and a black bowtie instead of his usual tie. At last, he considered if he should use his black All Stars as he would usually do with the tuxedo or some more elegant shoes. He smiled: he didn't have to run, today.

~oOo~

Rose sat on the Doctor's coat, completely lost in her thoughts. '_The Doctor marrying me. Here. Now. Oh god.'_ She was… happy, she guessed, but happiness was nothing compared to her feelings. Overwhelming joy. Stunning incredulity, even. Maybe, it was just brilliant. Or fantastic. Rose couldn't tell: her brain wasn't working very clearly. Everything was so… confused, flashed by joy. It was almost paralyzing, but felt beautiful. Incredibly, amazingly, wonderfully good.

They had been together for almost six months now and it was perfect, of course. The Doctor was perfect. Romantic, loving, passionate. And obviously he was brilliant and nice and charming as he always had been with her and with anyone else. But this was different. This wasn't being lovers. This was bond, promises… _domestics_, even. This was the closest thing to being stuck the Doctor had ever done purposely, Rose was almost sure. It was like family. It _was_ family. It was most certainly the deepest proof of his love that he had given to her by now. He never got entangled, never got involved: he ran. He wasn't stopping now, of course, but he had decided to slow down and run with her.

This was the biggest thing happened in her life by now. In that moment, Rose missed her mother. She wondered if Jackie would have been happy for her. Obviously yes, as her mum knew how much she loved the Doctor. Maybe she would cry at her wedding ceremony. Rose did miss her, sometimes, when she was very happy or very sad. The Doctor was always there for her, yes, but she loved her mother tenderly and was upset she could never see her again. Not that she wouldn't choose to stay with the Doctor, she had made her choice a long time before, but still it wasn't easy.

Two cool hands came on her eyes from behind, blinding her sight, shaking her out of those thoughts:

"Guess who?" the Doctor's voice was playful in her hears.

Rose had almost jumped for the surprise, but then she took his hands with hers, kissing his fingertips softly. She got up:

"You scared me to death," she said, turning to face him, "you really know how to surprise a g-"

Rose stopped as she finally faced him: he was… more beautiful than ever. Breath-taking. He had a bright grin on his clearly recently-shaved face, and perfectly-styled hair, as if he had just got out of the hairdresser. He had changed, too: he was wearing a black tuxedo and bowtie and… _oh_. '_Does he love me this much?'_ Rose wondered: he wasn't wearing his All Stars, but a pair of elegant black shoes. She hadn't seen him with anything but Converse in this body, except right after regeneration, when he had worn his previous self's clothes. Rose was so breathless that a little, idiot smile grew on her face without her noticing.

"You are so beautiful, Rose Tyler" the Doctor stated, his voice low with excitement.

Rose blinked repeatedly: what? He was the one all dressed up and everything. She was in jeans and sweater, a stupid tiny grin on her face. His thoughts just told her: he didn't mind. In his mind, she was the image of perfection and beauty. Always. Rose blushed.

"Yo-you're beautiful too. Handsome. Perfect. I-I love you" she breathed.

The Doctor smiled gently, his gaze burning her eyes with its intensity.

"I love you too. _Molto bene._ Shall we begin?

~oOo~

"Rose, take one end of this. Wrap it around your hand, and hold it out to me" the Doctor said, giving her an old strip of cloth. As they were both holding it, Rose asked:

"Now what?"

"Well, you say 'I do'? If-if you do, of course" he whispered nervously.

"Just like that? Nothing before it?"

"Oh, are we doing the long version? Okay… well…" he cleared his throat and began in a louder voice: "Dearly beloved," he arched an eyebrow, looking around, as they obviously were alone "we be gathered here today to-"

"Okay, okay you can skip that!" Rose said, giggling.

The Doctor chuckled, and continued.

"Rose Marion Tyler, do you take me to be your husband, in sickness and health, in wealth and poverty, in good and bad luck until…" he hesitated and took a deep breath "…until death do us part?" he tried to say something to lower the tension and the seriousness, which were becoming almost unbearable for him: "I should warn you that I don't own a pence, and that I usually have very bad luck"

"I don't care, Doctor. And… of course I do." Rose said, and lowered the hand that was holding the strip to lean forward and kiss him. The Doctor stopped her:

"Wait, I didn't say my part!" he protested. "And then, I have these" he took two gold rings out of his pocket, giving her one of them, on the same finger, which she was wearing the previous ring on.

"Well then," she called him with his true name, "do you take me to be your wife, in sickness and health, in wealth and poverty, in good and bad luck until death do us part, knowing that I don't own a pence and that I'm the luckiest girl in the universe, as I deserve the love of the most wonderful man in existence?"

"Oh, Rose. Yes. Yes, I do" he said, voice almost a whisper, as he was deeply moved by her words.

Rose pulled the other ring up to his knuckle and gently kissed the back of his hand, legs trembling with emotion.

"Now… I guess you should kiss your husband" the Doctor breathed.

"Shouldn't it be the reverse?" Rose asked, playfully.

"As you wish" he answered cheekily, and kissed her with more passion than ever, letting the strip of cloth fall on the ground, closing his eyes and making her close hers for the intensity of the kiss.

Her legs were weak already, so she fell on the grass as his kiss became longing and demanding and as he gently pushed her down, falling with her. As he needed to breathe and began to place wet, open-mouth kisses on her neck, Rose managed to ask:

"Doctor…do you want to have… have your wedding night… right here?" she was breathless for his ardent kisses and his hands wandering everywhere.

The Doctor paused and grinned, his smile brighter than the sunset behind him, which was slowly disappearing, leaving a starry night in its place.

"Oh, Rose. I'm seriously thinking about it" his eyes were bright with joy and burning with passion.

Rose laughed, briefly, her lips soon covered with his. She simply pulled him closer, and kissed him back.

**A/N: Here it is, chapter 4 ;) I wasn't sure if I should had added another scene at the end, but eventually I decided to live it as you see it, with kind of romantic, idyllic ending. Did you like this chapter and its ending? I enjoyed very much writing it :)**

**I hope that there weren't too many feelings here: as you saw, I tried to lower the seriousness with some little humour. Hope you liked it :)**

**I really must thank all of you, because you keep reading and following this fic, and because your reviews are **_**so**_** lovely! I really appreciate them 3**

**I'm also really happy because I finished the cover to this story: yes, I drew it :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Rose needed time to get used to the fact that the Doctor had promised 'forever' and was now her husband. It was such an incredible thing, the Doctor getting involved this much in something, that it was even hard to realize. Not that things changed so much between them: they still went adventuring, often two or three times every day, and they still did a lot of kissing and everything, but their relationship began something different: the initial rough, burning passion turned into a more tender, sweet intimacy, and the simple pleasure of being together, minds always linked, grew in intensity.

Despite their mental link, they still talked a lot: it's not so easy to clearly express things without words, using only thoughts, even though it charges everything with images and feelings: people usually have a lot in mind, and thoughts are usually confused, mixed with each other. Especially if you are a very brilliant Time Lord with hundreds of thoughts in your brain at the same time, in a chaotic mess that was reflected by the Doctor's usual chattering and by his over-excited behaviour. So they still were always talking, Rose wanting the Doctor know everything about her and the Doctor wanting her to know… well, the main bits of his so long life. After some time, he was even able to speak about the Time War or about his childhood and his family, about Gallifrey.

The only thing they didn't talk about was Rose's little problem: the light that sometimes surrounded her and that was growing in intensity and frequency. They both thought that the other didn't know, but Rose was seriously thinking about telling him. Eventually, she didn't need to.

"I've remembered that I still must take you to Barcelona -the planet, not the city-" the Doctor exclaimed, chuckling and over-excited as he always was when he was starting the TARDIS's engines, pushing buttons here and there.

"Oh, yeah, you promised it a long time ago" Rose said, giggling.

She reached him near the console, helping him with the TARDIS, as he had begun to teach her how to fly it.

"That lever over there, pull it down, please" he asked gently.

"Sure"

She hadn't touched the lever yet as her arms began to glow brighter than ever.

'_Dammit'_ she thought.

Feeling she was worried, the Doctor turned towards her and their eyes met.

"Doctor… I-I wanted to tell you…it's been a while-"

"What? You knew? I thought you didn't-"

"I thought _you_ didn't!"

"…and I didn't want to worry you" they said at the same time.

The glowing began to spread all over her body

"Okay, now we really need to figure out what the hell this is" the Doctor stated, looking anxious.

As Rose had noticed, the Doctor tended to talk like his ninth self when he was very nervous. He pointed his sonic screwdriver at her, and looked at the results. He frowned and gave her a perplex look.

"TARDIS, scan her." he asked.

"Doctor…" Rose called. Her whole body was shining more and more luminously.

"I'm working on it, love. Do you feel something? I mean, different or…" he sounded puzzled, but also thrilled with his usual excitement in discovering new things.

"No…" Rose began, but then she felt her hands start to itch. Very much, almost painfully. "Now I feel something…"

"Oh, yes, I feel it" he reassured her. For some reason, he sensed that the sensation wasn't unfamiliar for him. He wondered why. He felt as if he should know perfectly what was happening, that feeling, but he didn't recognise it. "How much time do you need for a simple scansion, Old Girl?"

Three or four seconds later, the results appeared on the monitor, a complex weft of circles that formed the Gallifreyan written language.

"Oh, good" the Doctor murmured, "let me see."

He got near the screen, looking intently at it.

"It can't be…" he whispered, "oh, but it is."

"Doctor? Could you _please_ just tell me what's happening?" Rose asked, light glowing brighter and the strange sensation spreading all over her body.

The Doctor turned to face her. Now everything made perfect sense. That golden light. That _so _familiar sensation. And that beautiful feeling in the back of his mind, a feeling he hadn't experienced in decades.

"There's nothing to worry about, Rose" he said, a wide grin on his face, "you're just… regenerating."

"_What? _May I remind you that I'm _human?_ _What the hell_ are you talking about? And how could you say 'don't worry'?"

Rose couldn't read his thoughts, as they were messier than ever, a chaotic storm of memories and feelings. Time Lords were implied. Regeneration too. And her, and his love for her. And joy. Overwhelming, breath-taking joy. And he had that stupid smile on his face, and a bright, dreamy gaze.

"What is it, Doctor? You look like you are day-dreaming."

"Yeah," he uttered, his smile growing wider, "more or less." He looked at her almost playfully.

"Can you take this seriously for a second, Doctor?" she asked.

"_Oh_, Rose" he whispered, "you really don't know how serious this is." He paused for a second. "Have I ever told you that Time Lords became what they were because of the influence of the Time Vortex? Continuous exposition to it, along centuries."

"_Doctor_, what-"

"Shh" he breathed, putting a finger on his lips, "you are mutating, Rose. Into a Time Lord- oh, well, Time Lady, of course. And do you know how I know it? I thought it was impossible. I thought the scan was lying. But now, now I can feel it perfectly, here" he touched his forehead with two fingers, "here, in the back of my mind. I can feel you in the telepathic field."

He was still smiling, looking marvellously happy. The fact that he was so calm and knew exactly what was happening reassured her, but…

"No" the Doctor said. She was about to say something, but he stopped her. "Let me explain. Your cells are turning into the ones of a Time Lord. That's what you're feeling. I said you're regenerating because it's pretty close. Each cell of your body is changing. That's how regeneration works. You won't change face though. You don't have enough energy. That's also the reason why the process is so slow, you can't do this by yourself." he stretched an arm and held out a hand. "Let me help you."

"Wa-wasn't it dangerous? To stay near someone about to regenerate?" she asked, remembering his regeneration.

"It is, but this isn't going to be as violent as a proper regeneration. I will just lend you enough regeneration energy to complete the process."

The Doctor wasn't talking, just whispering. And he was still smiling in awe, as if he couldn't believe that this was really happening. Rose took the hand he was holding out, and some golden energy began to flow from him to her. Rose felt like her whole body was burning.

"D-Doctor…i-it hurts…"

"I know, hold my hand" he said, holding her tighter, "now that I'm helping you, it will be a matter of seconds."

He was right. Her head lolled back as golden energy surrounded her like flames. Her body tensed in the effort, trying to bear the almost paralyzing power of the energy inside her. Then it stopped, all of a sudden, and she passed out. Luckily, the Doctor was ready and took her in his arms.

~oOo~

The first thing Rose saw as she woke up was the Doctor's tender, lovely smile.

"Hello" he said.

"Hello…" she answered. She realized they were on their bed, fully dressed, even though the Doctor had taken off shoes and jacket and had loosened his tie. The Doctor fondly caressed her cheek, and Rose noticed that his skin didn't feel cool as always.

"Oh, I missed this" he said "the feeling of timelord skin."

It wasn't his skin that was warmer, Rose understood: it was hers that was now cooler. The second thing she noticed was that his touch felt incredibly different. It was intense, even though he was just grazing her. She put her hand on his and pressed it against his cheek. She shivered.

"Are you always so sensitive?" she asked. "It's beautiful."

"Yes, I am... let me show you something else" he whispered, smiling.

As she nodded, he kissed her chastely, just pressing his lips against her. It was shockingly intense, and made a burning hot wave of pleasure run down her spine. His scent, then, was breathtakingly overwhelming, and a jolt of electricity hit her as she inhaled it deeply. After a long moment, the Doctor broke the kiss.

"Oh, God. That was…" Rose shook her head, unable to find the right words.

The Doctor grinned. "It must feel very different, I guess."

"It's very… timey-wimey." she admitted.

And it was. All of a sudden, she realized how heavy the clothes felt on her skin, and how warm. She could hear the continuous humming of the TARDIS and the Doctor's breath near her face. She became conscious of everything that was happening in her body. Blood rushing in her veins. The exact position of the organs. Some of them were different. And she could feel her two... wait. _What?_ Rose quickly grabbed the Doctor's hand and pressed it against her chest.

"Oh…that's…" the Doctor stared at her for a second, then hugged her tight pressing his head on her chest, eyes closed. "Oh, how much I missed this. Two heartbeats. It's beautiful."

The Doctor was experiencing so many emotions that he thought he could collapse. When they parted, he looked at Rose completely in awe.

"Let me show you… what I've been missing most. Close your eyes" he said. Their minds weren't linked yet, as it was unpleasant to do it while sleeping, sharing dreams and nightmares, so this would work perfectly. "Concentrate on me. Look for me in your mind. Ask yourself if I am somewhere out here."

Rose could feel him. His presence. She couldn't read his thoughts, but she had the feeling -the certainty- that he was there, somewhere in the vast universe. It was incredibly reassuring, beautiful.

"Time Lords are a telepathic species, Rose. When there are two or more of us, we share a telepathic field, and we are linked to each other: we can always feel each other, no matter where we are in this universe. That's how I could tell I was the only one left…" he paused, "until now" he breathed.

"But how did all this happen, Doctor?"

"Time Lords became what they were because of the continuous exposition to the Time Vortex. It took centuries, but we gained the ability to regenerate and very long lifespans, increased intelligence and telepathy. You absorbed the whole Time Vortex from the heart of the TARDIS. This definitely counts as continuous exposition. I told you no one should do that because you die if you do. But I saved you, and maybe a little bit of the energy of the Vortex was still inside you. Travelling through the Void also helped. And it was probably my fault, too: always being mentally linked… I think I kind of reawakened the energy that was inside you and that was increasing… it was just looking for a way to come out."

For some reason, the Doctor was _still_ looking at her in awe, and Rose _still_ didn't understand why. He looked so happy he couldn't express it, and stared at her like he used to do the first days after the one he had picked her up from the other universe, when he couldn't believe that they were together again and that they were truly together, kissed, made love. He had the same little, sweet, incredulous smile. And she still didn't understand why. Testing her newly-acquired telepathic skills, Rose pressed her fingers on his temples and tried to link their minds. It was easier than she had thought. The Doctor's thoughts told her only one thing, expressed only one feeling: _forever_. Rose understood everything all of a sudden and a wide grin, her tongue-in-teeth smile, popped up on her face.

"Doctor! I'm a Time Lady! I can regenerate, I will have a very long life, as you do!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, Rose" he breathed, "I'm not alone anymore. And I will never be alone again."

"We can see the universe. Go anywhere."

The Doctor smiled cheekily.

"Anywhere? Yeah, but I'm not in a hurry. Right now, the only place where I want you is here, in my arms" he said, and pulled her close for a kiss.

**A/N Hey, hello! Here it is, new chapter :) hope you liked it… I'll try to update as soon as I can :)**


	6. Chapter 6

The Doctor woke up slowly, gradually slipping out of his dreams, only to find out that they weren't so different from reality. Rose's head was buried into his neck and he could feel her soft breath against his skin. She had an arm and a leg draped over his torso, a gentle weight that made him hum in delight.

The most beautiful sensations were the newest ones, though: the coolness of her skin, the beat of two hearts in her chest and the presence of her mind in the telepathic field. That, that was utterly perfect: he didn't feel lonely, he didn't painfully miss her mind in his as always when he woke up. They weren't mentally linked, but he could feel she was there with him. He had missed being part of a telepathic field, but he hadn't realized how much, until he had felt it again.

The Doctor moved slightly, eyes still closed, wondering why he didn't feel completely and perfectly content, as he should. He did indeed feel extremely good, but there was something, something in the back of his mind, a concern, an anxiety, which he wasn't able to explain. It was even more than that, to be honest. It was almost… physical. More a sensation than a feeling. He ran his left hand on his face and hair, pressing a bit, trying to force himself fully awake and think rationally.

He opened his eyes and turned towards Rose. She was deeply asleep, and the Doctor smiled at that sight, knowing it was the most beautiful sight in the universe, better than a pink-and-red dawn of two suns between the peaks of the mountains in the orange sky of his youth. Better than everything.

He sat, careful not to wake Rose, gently moving her arm from his chest to his pillow.

'_Stay focused'_ he said to himself. _'What's wrong with you, Doctor? Oh, blimey. Think. Think, think thick timelord brain of yours. Don't you always boast of how brilliant you are? What is it, then? Something about… something…it has to do with Rose, yeah? Something… in my mind… oh. Oh God.'_

He had never used many curses, and 'oh God' had never been one of them, even in his mind, but maybe he had taken that habit from Rose. Probably, though, it was because this was absolutely huge. His eyes flew shut and he covered his mouth with his left hand to avoid swearing aloud.

'_She will slap me right in the face for this.' _He shivered, knowing that if Rose had taken half the ability her mother had, her slap would leave a mark. And it would hurt, not only physically. Maybe he should see the positive aspect: at least Jackie was a universe apart and could not slap him herself.

"Rose" he called, staring at the wall in front of him without really seeing it, "Rose, you should wake up. Rose. Wake up."

~oOo~

Rose awoke smiling, expecting to feel the gentle pressure of the Doctor's lips against hers and begin the day looking into his chocolate-brown eyes: she heard his voice low, cold and distant, instead. As if he was lost in some deep concern. Worried, she opened her eyes and quickly sat near him. He didn't look at her, and Rose understood he was doing it purposely. She gently caressed his bare shoulders and leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on his neck, but he moved, trying to avoid her touch.

"No. Please. No." he whispered.

Now, now Rose was seriously concerned. He had never behaved like this, not even when he had just had a nightmare. Usually, he was pleased to know she was there for him, loved him. Rose squeezed his hand firmly.

"Doctor. What is it? Just… just tell me, okay?"

"Oh, Rose. Don't you feel it? Must be too soon. Rose… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It is all my fault, of course, as always."

"Doctor, just tell me. It can't be anything that bad. I know you would never hurt me purposely."

"Rose, you're going to slap me very hard for this."

"I would never-" she began. Well, never… okay, she would slap him if he betrayed her or something like that, but that would _never_ happen. She wouldn't doubt about his love for her, about them, would her? No, no, he would never do something like that to her. "I would never hit you, Doctor. Don't be silly."

"Rose…"

"Hey" she cupped his face and forced him to look into her eyes, chocolate-brown meeting golden-brown. "Just. Tell. Me. It's okay. Don't worry."

"Rose. I…I got you pregnant."

~oOo~

The Doctor closed his eyes and waited for her hand to hit him, knowing that he completely deserved it and that he was probably the biggest idiot in all of the known universe. Nothing happened though, and he dared open his eyes.

Rose was staring at him, stunned. He simply waited for her reaction, not knowing what he should do or say.

"Doctor… ar-are you serious? Yo-you're not kidding, right?"

"How could I joke about something like this? I'm sorry, Rose. I'm so sorry. It's just the truth."

Rose was clearly shocked, and the Doctor couldn't avoid the thought that maybe her reaction was even more painful than a slap. He hadn't really expected she would be happy, but maybe, just maybe, very deep in his hearts, he had hoped she would want his child.

"Bu-but you… you said we weren't… we weren't compatible. Different specie- _oh_. Oh. I'm… I'm Time Lady. _No more_ different species."

"No more, yes. I'm sorry, Rose. I was so happy that I… didn't realize it. I'm so sorry. I don't know how I've become so dumb. Maybe I'm aging" he said, smiling sadly. "It is okay you don't want this. It is absolutely… I understand you don't… I mean, it's okay that-"

"Now, how can you be _so_ thick, Doctor?" Rose said, interrupting him. "We've never talked about this, and there was no point of talking about it of course, and I've never even thought about this before, but, Doctor, how _in the name of sanity_ could you _possibly_ think that I wouldn't want _your _child?"

Time froze. _'No. Wait. What?'_ He stared at her speechless, barely conscious that his mouth had fallen open. Time started to flow again as Rose caressed his cheek smiling lovingly at him.

"I love you, Doctor. This…" she shook her head "this isn't okay. This is wonderful. Brilliant. The real question is, Doctor, do _you_ want this child?"

"Oh, Rose. Yes, yes, of course I do. I love you too, of course I want-" the Doctor was still breathless, not completely capable of coherent thoughts.

"Well, then. So put a smile on that thick face of you, yeah?"

"Oh, yes, Rose, yes." He grinned, his usual manic grin, and Rose grinned back, tongue between teeth. They stayed still for a moment, grinning at each other, the Doctor wondering what he had done to deserve her unconditional love, then Rose asked:

"But… how do you know, anyway? If it happened few hours ago?"

"You're not used to it, are you? Do you feel me, in the telepathic field?"

She closed her eyes and looked concentrated. "Hm-hm. Yep."

"Are you sure we are alone?" he asked, smiling playfully.

She frowned and looked even more focused. Then her eyes shot wide open and she grinned.

"You're right! It's different. But it's not like we are the three of us. It's more like, don't know, two and a half."

"Because there are only a few cells. The first ones are nerve cells, though."

"Typical. You Time Lords, all brain. From the very beginning. Just make sure that our child learns how to use it, yeah? I don't want him to be as thick as his father" she said, smirking.

"Hmpf. Come here, you" he said, hugging her tight and closing his eyes, enjoying the feeling of her skin against his, kissing the top of her head. Rose giggled, and they lied down on the mattress, cuddling each other.

"You were so worried, you didn't even say 'hello'." Rose said, still chuckling.

He smiled and softly kissed her on her lips.

"Hello" he held her a bit tighter and pulled her closer. "Better?"

"Better. Doctor… are you happy?"

"Oh yes, Rose. It's just that I can't put it into words."

Finally, he linked their minds and let her feel what he was feeling. He was more than happy. So. Much. More. His joy was almost paralysing. He wasn't really in his right mind, it felt a lot like day-dreaming. And he was so pleased to sense that Rose felt exactly the same. He looked into her eyes as he gently caressed her right arm and her waist. He gazed at her, asking permission. Rose nodded and took his left hand, guiding it down her body, stopping right below her navel. He stroked her smooth skin very softly, just with his fingertips, knowing that under them, in the next months, he would feel their child grow. Her hand pressed his gently.

"Will it be different?" she asked eventually.

"Not much" he answered, never stopping to caress her "Time Lords grow up more slowly, though. Not at the beginning, but later. We have a very long adolescence. And post-adolescence. I was a terror until 120."

"120? Well, that is…"

"Don't worry. I've always been quite… special."

"Oh, I'm sure. You, little rebel, you were. For sure."

The Doctor chuckled. "Yep, I guess I was."

"I can't quite imagine a young you" Rose said, smiling.

"I was terrible in my first life. Selfish. Egocentric. Boasting of my intelligence with everyone…"

"So basically you haven't matured at all." Rose laughed.

"…I was quite curmudgeonly too…"

"Okay you've changed a bit, I'll give you that. Just a little bit."

"Oi, stop it" he said, pretending to be hurt but knowing perfectly that she was just joking.

Thinking of his first life made him think about Susan, about his other grandchildren and children. They all died in the Time War and, even though regeneration had healed some wounds, they still had a huge place in his hearts and the memory was still quite sorrowful. Rose knew that, obviously, and that was why she had asked if he was okay with having another child.

But he had to stay focused. Building a new family wasn't an offense to the memory of his previous one. Maybe they would even be happy for him. Rose caressed his cheek and stoke his hair, shaking those thoughts away from his mind. She didn't speak, though, maybe because she didn't know what to say. She simply caressed his mind with hers, trying to reassure him, but the Doctor felt that those sad ideas were making her sad as well, and decided to do something to make them both forget. He grinned as he knew what to do.

"Rose, do you want to… to know if the baby is a boy or a girl?"

Rose grinned enthusiastically. "Yes, yes, of course."

He stretched an arm to reach for his sonic screwdriver that was on the bedside table and pointed it at her. A manic grin popped up on his face as he read the results. He didn't know why, but actually seeing it on the screwdriver made it even more real. He was overwhelmed with joy. He thought his hearts could probably make a pair of flips. He closed his eyes as he embraced Rose and kissed her passionately.

"So, Doctor?" she asked, breaking the kiss, smiling playfully.

"So, Rose Tyler," he answered, his grin growing wider, "you will give me a son." He kissed her again. "I love you so much."

"I love you too. And I'm so happy, Doctor. So happy I can give you a child. So happy that you want me to. So happy that I will have a little you running around… no, wait, will he resemble you? This you?"

"You're truly brilliant, Rose" _'Or maybe you read this in my memories'_ he thought, but he didn't say it aloud. "He could resemble any of my incarnations. Time Lord DNA is… complicated. He's more likely to look like the most recent ones, though."

"We should choose the name." Rose said, suddenly. "Any tradition on Gallifrey?"

"No, nothing special. There are a lot of beautiful male names in Gallifreyan, anyway. Oh, now I definitely must teach you Gallifreyan. It's way better for him to learn his native language first…but it doesn't matter right now. We were talking about names. Any name you like? You should choose."

"Really? Are you sure? Because I have something in mind." Rose answered, grinning.

"Of course" he said, wondering if he was going to regret it shortly after.

"I've always liked the name 'Edward'."

"Okay, brilliant. Beautiful name. I like it. Edward Tyler. Sounds perfect."

"Kids in England usually have two names, Doctor."

"Yes" he said slowly, "I know."

"Usually, boys are named after their father." Rose said, almost whispering.

"Rose…"

"Please. You promised. Why not? It's a beautiful name."

Rose called him with his true name and his hearts melt a bit. He loved its sound on her lips but…

"Please. Listen, if not your name, at least Thete. Let me call him Thete."

The people who had loved him in the past used to call him Thete. His closest friends. His family. And it was a short form for his true name.

Rose was still looking at him, with eyes full of love and tenderness, and he felt he couldn't deny her anything.

"Okay, okay. Edward Thete it is."

"Yes!" she exclaimed, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and holding him tight. "I love you, you know" she said, a cheerful grin on her face.

"Oh, you, little…" he wanted to joke and pretend he was annoyed, but in the end he couldn't. It filled his hearts with love, knowing that it was so important for her to name their son after him. "little precious girl. I love you too."

~oOo~

Giving birth was probably the most painful thing Rose had ever done in her entire life. That pain seemed so tiny, though, compared to the joy of holding her child in her arms, the Doctor stroking her hair gently, kissing her cheeks and trying to wipe out her tears, but he was crying as well, even though he wasn't noticing.

"Beautiful, beautiful Rose. You have been brilliant" he whispered, sitting on the bed near her.

After giving Rose their baby, the Doctor hadn't dared to touch him again, almost afraid of hurting him. As the little Time Lord fell asleep, though, Rose tenderly looked at her husband, then back at their child.

"Say hello to your dad, Little Thete" she said giving him the baby, smiling.

The Doctor took him with lightly shaking hands. He felt two very small, steady heartbeats under the towel wrapped around the tiny chest. Four minuscule fingers squeezed one of his, and the baby sighed in relief and snuggled a bit closer to his father's chest. The Doctor's hearts skipped some beats. It was breath-taking, holding that little person born out of his love for Rose.

"I-I think I love him already" he uttered, looking for Rose's eyes, a bright grin on his face, so similar to his manic grin and at the same time so different in its tenderness.

Rose giggled and locked her eyes with his. "He's our child. Of course you love him."

"Hello" he said eventually, gently lulling his son. "Welcome to this universe, Edward Thete Tyler."

THE END

The story will continue with _"Recently Lost, Newly Found"_

**A/N: Hello! I'm so so so sorry for the late update, but I've had a lot of homework to do :'( **

**A pair of notes: **

**1) "I was a terror until 120" is something the eighth Doctor said in an audio-adventure, and I liked the idea so I put it in this story.**

**2) The name 'Thete' is the short form for one of the Doctor's nicknames, Theta Sigma, which wasn't (for what we know) the Doctor's true name. I simply invented the fact that 'Thete' was a short form of the Doctor's true name, assuming that Theta was a part of his name, but I'm not saying his true name is Theta Sigma. **

**Finally, as we are at the end of this fic, special thanks are needed: to BBC for inventing DW, to my best friend for encouraging me to write, to **_**MirrorFlower and DarkWind**_** who reviewed this story from the first chapter, to **_**jenn008**_** who motivated me to update soon and to everyone who has reviewed or read this story: you were wonderful!**


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